AI Software Engineer, Lightspeed Studios

NVIDIA Corporation; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 224,000 - 357,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

NVIDIA Lightspeed Studios is seeking a senior software engineer to push the boundaries of AI and graphics for games. You will ship software for unannounced projects, train and optimize large models, and ensure real-time performance on RTX devices and the cloud.

You’ll collaborate with NVIDIA Research, rendering, and art teams to drive innovative solutions. The role requires a strong background in C++, Python, and PyTorch, with hands-on experience in distributed training, GPU inference

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in CS or EE, or equivalent experience.
• 12+ years of software engineering shipping AI or ML systems.
• Expert-level C++ and Python.
• Experience training/fine-tuning DL models with PyTorch, including distributed training.
• Experience in video generation, world models, diffusion/transformers, or neural rendering.
• Experience GPU inference optimization with CUDA, TensorRT, or Triton.

Responsibilities

• Build and ship software for upcoming AI-powered game projects.
• Train, fine-tune, and evaluate models for real-time gameplay.
• Optimize latency and throughput on RTX devices and in the cloud.
• Profile bottlenecks from model to GPU kernels.
• Integrate models into Unreal Engine, Unity, and custom engines.
• Lead technical decisions and mentor other engineers.

Skills

C++

Python

PyTorch

Distributed training

Deep learning systems

Education

BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience

Tools

CUDA

TensorRT

Triton

Job description

At NVIDIA Lightspeed Studios we are passionate about pushing the limits of technology, and we're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our team! We help shape the future of games by combining the best AI and graphics technology NVIDIA has to offer with the most advanced games and tools in the industry. In this role, you’ll help take new, unannounced projects powered by state-of-the-art AI models from research to real-time, interactive gaming experiences.

Some existing projects we’ve been working on:

• RTX Remix is an open-source modding platform for remastering classic games with full path tracing, DLSS 4.5, and generative AI tools that turn low-resolution textures into physically based materials. Newer features like RTX Remix Logic and Advanced Particle VFX let modders add dynamic, gameplay-driven effects: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/rtx-remix/
• Zorah is our neural rendering tech demo for the GeForce RTX 50 Series launch at CES 2025. It features massive, fully path-traced scenes in Unreal Engine 5, powered by RTX Neural Shaders, RTX Mega Geometry, and DLSS 4: https://developer.nvidia.com/rtx-kit
• Project R2X is a vision-enabled AI avatar for RTX PCs that can see the screen, assist with apps, and summarize documents. It is rendered with RTX Neural Faces and animated by a diffusion-based Audio2Face-3D model: https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-launches-ai-foundation-models-for-rtx-ai-pcs
• NVIDIA AI for Gaming brings conversational, autonomous game characters to life with small on-device models for speech, intelligence, and animation. It powers AI teammates in PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, AI citizens in inZOI, and an in-game advisor in Total War: PHARAOH: https://developer.nvidia.com/ace-for-games

What you’ll be doing:

• Build and ship software for upcoming, not-yet-announced projects that bring world models and video diffusion models to real-time gaming, from prototype to release.
• Train, fine-tune, and evaluate models, including data curation and adapting models to game-specific content and controls.
• Optimize models and inference for latency, token throughput, and quality, using techniques such as distillation, quantization, and reduced-step sampling on RTX devices and in the cloud.
• Profile and remove bottlenecks across the stack, from model architecture to GPU kernels.
• Integrate models into Unreal Engine, Unity, and custom engines, so they run efficiently alongside rendering.
• Lead technical decisions, mentor other engineers, and collaborate with NVIDIA Research, rendering, and art teams.

What we need to see:

• BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 12+ years of software engineering experience, including substantial hands‑on work shipping AI, deep learning, or machine learning systems.
• Expert-level C++ and Python.
• Hands‑on experience training and fine‑tuning deep learning models with PyTorch or a similar framework, including distributed training.
• Experience in one or more of these areas: video generation, world models, diffusion or flow‑matching models, transformers, or neural rendering.
• Experience optimizing GPU inference with CUDA, TensorRT, TensorRT-LLM, or Triton.
• A track record of turning complex prototypes into shipped products, and clear communication across research, engineering, and art.

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

• Hands‑on experience with interactive, action‑conditioned, or real‑time world models or video generation.
• Experience developing custom CUDA or Triton kernels.
• Experience with game engine development or real‑time rendering pipelines.
• Open-source contributions (such as Diffusers, FastVideo, vLLM, SGLang, or TensorRT-LLM), publications, or patents.

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 224,000 USD - 356,500 USD for Level 5, and 272,000 USD - 431,250 USD for Level 6.

• You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

Applications for this job will be accepted at least until October 2, 2026.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Learn more about NVIDIA.

NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.

NVIDIA is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.